49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has tattoos on his arms. Can you believe that? An NFL starting quarterback with tattoos. / John David Mercer, US Presswire

by Robert Klemko, USA TODAY Sports

by Robert Klemko, USA TODAY Sports

MODESTO, Calif. -- Colin Kaepernick is the new starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers thanks to a blend of athleticism and surprising veteran savvy for a second-year player, but some people can't see beyond the tattoo ink that covers his arms.

That's because it's common among NFL players, but rare for a passer.

David Whitley of the Sporting News lobbed criticism at Kaepernick in a column Thursday. Whitley wrote, "NFL quarterback is the ultimate position of influence and responsibility. He is the CEO of a high-profile organization, and you don't want your CEO to look like he just got paroled."

Suffice to say that Rick and Teresa Kaepernick, the parents who adopted Colin as a baby, weren't happy with the analysis comparing their son to inmates. And they relayed their feelings to USA TODAY Sports.

"It annoyed me," Teresa said. "You are categorizing this kid on something like tattoos? Really? Saying other guys are role models because they don't have them? Really? Some of these other guys don't have crystal clear reputations. That's how you're going to define this kid? It's pretty irritating, but it is what it is."

Whitley could not be reached for comment Friday, but Sporting News editor in chief Garry D. Howard wrote a story explaining the column.

Teresa didn't encourage Colin, a 4.0 high school student who never has been arrested, to get his tattoos when he came home with the idea early in his college career at Nevada. But she and Rick conceded that Colin could make his own decisions. Colin chose Bible verses and had them inscribed on his biceps.

"Colin's a fairly religious kid, but he's not in your face about it," Rick said by phone. "It's more about him and what he believes."

Rick read the Sporting News column critical of his son Thursday and was bothered but not angry. He'd rather Colin be lauded for his work with Camp Taylor, a camp for kids with heart defects, than criticized for his body art.

"This guy has probably never talked to Colin," Rick said. "Instead of saying that Colin does all these great things and donates his time to children, this guy is going to make him out like a gangster. Really? I guess you just have to roll with the punches.

"Somebody asked me if I got mad about that. I said no. It's just a guy and his opinion. I could have an opinion about him, but I've never met the guy, so I don't know if my opinion would be right."

Teresa was reasonably irked by a passage in the column, which insisted that a person's body should be considered a temple, "and you don't cover temples in graffiti."

There's just one problem with that: Colin treats his body like it's the Sistine Chapel.

"In high school he did a big paper on substance abuse," Teresa said. "He's truly disgusted by it. He just has issues with it. He's so careful about what he puts in his body. He feels that it's his temple."

Teresa considered responding in writing to the columnist but chose against it. She understands one thing about critics: Like hungry seagulls, they just never stop coming.

"You give them one grain, and then they're flocking all over," Teresa said.

Perhaps the Kaepernicks should be happy that so much attention is being paid to Colin¹s skin. It means he¹s doing something special with his arm.

With two consecutive wins as a starter against the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, Colin has the 49ers primed for a run at home field advantage in the playoffs. A few more, and he can write his own story.